They're Family

Take over?

Take over what?

What needed to be taken over?

Shangguan Yunying's mind went completely blank. She stared blankly at Lin Qingyan standing before her.

Of course she understood what the word "take over" meant.

One person takes over from another to do something, to bear some responsibility, to occupy some position.

But the question was—take over what?

What was there between her and Lin Qingyan that could possibly be taken over?

One was the Jingzhe of the Heavenly Master Mansion, the other a former chief female official. Different identities, different duties, different positions at Gu Chengyin's side.

What Lin Qingyan could do, Shangguan Yunying might not necessarily be able to do.

What Lin Qingyan dared to do, Shangguan Yunying might not even dare to imagine.

Wait.

Shangguan Yunying's thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

There actually was one thing that Lin Qingyan could do, and she could do as well.

Could it be that what Lin Qingyan meant by taking over was that kind of taking over?

"L-Lord Jingzhe... this... this isn't right, won't Gu Chengyin be angry?"

Even for someone like Shangguan Yunying, she couldn't help but stammer when faced with this question.

Her tongue felt like it was tied in knots, every word having to roll around in her mouth several times before she could barely force it out.

A flush crept up her cheeks, spreading from her cheekbones all the way to the tips of her ears.

Tinting her normally gentle and elegant features with bashfulness.

But Lin Qingyan casually pulled her chair over, unconcerned.

The chair was made of rosewood, its four legs scraping against the bluestone floor with a low grating sound.

Lin Qingyan's movement in moving the chair was relaxed and natural, sitting down directly beside Shangguan Yunying.

Her seat pressed right up against Shangguan Yunying's, so close that their shoulders were almost touching.

Then Lin Qingyan turned her body sideways and reached an arm around Shangguan Yunying from behind her waist.

Her palm settled on Shangguan Yunying's side, fingers curling slightly with just the right amount of pressure—firm enough to hold her in place without being rough.

Shangguan Yunying's waist was slender and soft, and through the fabric of her clothes, one could feel the muscles tensed from nervousness.

At the same time, Lin Qingyan's other hand rose.

Her fingertips swept across the front of Shangguan Yunying's body, tracing a slow path along that stunning curve.

Brushing against the fabric, producing a rustling sound that was clearly audible in the quiet room.

Lin Qingyan's movements were slow—so slow it was like she was painstakingly tracing an exquisite painting.

From the start of the curve to its highest point, then slowly sliding down from the peak.

Then Lin Qingyan spoke with deliberate meaning:

"Is that so? But I have a feeling Chengcheng wouldn't be angry."

"After all, Yunying has plenty of capital. Any man should be pleased, right?"

Shangguan Yunying's face involuntarily reddened, even more than before.

She could feel the warmth of Lin Qingyan's fingertips, the pressure of that hand on her waist, the distance between them so close they might as well have been fused into one.

Her breathing grew shallow and rapid, her chest rising and falling with each breath, causing that curve to tremble lightly beneath Lin Qingyan's fingers.

A playful glint flashed in Lin Qingyan's eyes.

She watched Shangguan Yunying's increasingly flushed face, her evasive gaze, her fingers clutching at the hem of her clothes.

And that demeanor of trying so hard to maintain composure yet completely failing to do so—a strange, unprecedented feeling stirred in Lin Qingyan's heart.

This former chief female official, always so composed and graceful in her daily life, handling official affairs with perfect order.

She would blush in front of Gu Chengyin too, but not with such flustered helplessness as this.

Lin Qingyan suddenly discovered that teasing the usually gentle Shangguan Yunying to the point of losing her composure was rather entertaining.

"B-But... doesn't Lord Jingzhe love him very much? Why would you suddenly..."

Shangguan Yunying steadied her thoughts and voiced the question in her heart.

She tried to make her voice sound calm, but the slight tremor at the end of her words betrayed her inner turmoil.

Her gaze collided with Lin Qingyan's, then quickly darted away, as if burned.

This was the part Shangguan Yunying couldn't understand most of all.

Lin Qingyan's possessiveness over Gu Chengyin was so intense.

She had seen with her own eyes how Lin Qingyan would hook her arm around Gu Chengyin's, how she would kiss him in front of everyone, how she would stake her claim.

That possessiveness was almost tangible, making every person present keenly aware of it.

As if she wanted to proclaim to the whole world that Gu Chengyin belonged to Lin Qingyan and no one else could even think of touching him.

And yet—this very same person was now sitting beside her, an arm around her waist, asking if she wanted Gu Chengyin.

How could she suddenly be willing to give him up?

This wasn't normal.

It didn't make sense.

There had to be a reason.

Of course, Lin Qingyan wasn't about to reveal the real reason.

She wouldn't tell Shangguan Yunying that the reason she needed someone to take over was because Gu Chengyin was simply too formidable.

That every single time left her utterly exhausted, that even when she begged for mercy he wouldn't stop, that every time Lin Qingyan felt like she'd been taken apart and put back together again.

She, the esteemed Fairy Jingzhe, an existence invincible at the Golden Core stage, kept losing again and again in this particular arena—how humiliating was that?

And Lin Qingyan wouldn't tell Shangguan Yunying that the reason she chose her, and no one else, was because she had discovered that the one Gu Chengyin truly favored most was actually Shangguan Yunying.

That man never said it out loud, always maintaining the facade of a proper gentleman.

But when his gaze occasionally lingered on Shangguan Yunying, that subtle shift—it might deceive others, but not Lin Qingyan.

Because her intuition was too sharp, too precise for anything to remain hidden.

Since Gu Chengyin liked her, Lin Qingyan might as well give Shangguan Yunying a push.

And incidentally, give herself a helping hand as well.

After all, she was the primary wife. Her strength and position were solid; no one could compete with her.

Lin Qingyan applied a little more pressure.

The hand around Shangguan Yunying's waist tightened slightly, drawing her closer into her embrace.

Shangguan Yunying's body lost its balance, involuntarily leaning toward Lin Qingyan.

Her shoulder rested against Lin Qingyan's, half her body pressed against the other woman.

The back of her head almost touched Lin Qingyan's chin, and she could feel the warm breath of air brushing through her hair with each inhale and exhale.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingyan's other hand moved upward.

Her fingertips left the front of Shangguan Yunying's body, tracing along her collarbone and rising slowly, passing over her slender neck, finally resting at her throat.

With a trace of coldness, like the first north wind of early winter.

Gently, she drew a line across Shangguan Yunying's throat.

From one side of the neck to the middle, from the middle to the other side of the neck, tracing an invisible arc.

Then Lin Qingyan spoke, her tone cool and detached:

"Didn't I tell you? As long as you call me 'older sister,' we're family."

"After all, Chengcheng said you'd be staying with me for a while. Since I agreed, I have to keep my word."